Convoys and Advice
by AliasCWN
Summary: You can lead a convoy but you can't make them listen.
1. Chapter 1

**Convoys and Advise**  
By:AliasCWN

Chapter 1

"Sarge!"

Sam Troy froze with the canteen halfway to his lips to look up at his driver. The young private was standing watch on a ridge above where they had paused for a short break. Troy was tense as he waited for the news that had his guard excited. Only twenty minutes earlier his driver had reported spotting dust from something large moving across the desert floor. Since the dust had disappeared they could only assume that whoever had caused it had stopped. Troy had chosen to wait and let them come to him rather than chance stumbling into an ambush. As he looked up at his sentry he was expecting to hear that they were once more on the move.

"Dust headed this general direction." Hitch called from his position on the ridge.

"How close?"

"A couple of miles, I'd guess."

"Hitch," Troy called in frustration, "they were closer than that before they stopped. Did they turn around?"

"I don't think so Sarge."

"Then how can they be further away and still headed this way?" He demanded.

The blond shrugged as he looked down at his sergeant. "The last dust was headed east to west before it stopped. This dust is headed west to east and it hasn't met up with the other dust yet. I think that we may have two different groups headed for the same road."

"Two German columns meeting up?" Troy asked.

"I don't know Sarge." The private replied, turning back to watch the dust. "I can't tell who is making the dust…any of it."

Recapping the canteen, his drink forgotten, Troy dropped it in the jeep and grabbed his binoculars. With a dozen quick steps he was beside his driver, looking for the dust himself.

"There Sarge." The blond pointed to their west.

With the rolling slopes of the desert floor and its dips and valleys, he couldn't see the source of the dust, even with the glasses.

"Where did the first dust stop?"

"Over there." His driver pointed. "They're maybe two to three miles apart."

"You think they're going to meet?"

"Yeah I do. There's a road over there. I think they're both on the same road."

"Maybe it's the same group heading back. Are you sure you didn't just lose them earlier?" The look that the blond gave him answered his question in no uncertain terms. "Okay Hitch, keep your eye on them. I'll talk to Moffitt and see if there is a wadi over there that we can use to sneak a peek."

The private nodded and took the binoculars that the sergeant handed him without a word. Focusing the glasses on the rising dust, he tracked the progress of their unidentified neighbors.

Troy and Moffitt were checking the maps for a good vantage point to check on the sources of the dust. They had a pretty good idea where the two groups would meet.

"We need to get there without alerting them," Troy explained, "it could be two German columns meeting and we can't handle that many vehicles on our own."

"I agree." Moffitt nodded.

"Sarge!"

Troy and Moffitt both turned at the yell but they didn't need his warning, they could hear the sounds of gunfire for themselves.

"Looks like they weren't both German after all." Troy shouted as he motioned his driver to his jeep.

The drivers started the vehicles as Moffitt folded the maps and put them away. Troy took the binoculars that Hitch handed to him and grabbed for the dash as the jeep lurched forward.

As they cleared the wadi he climbed into the back to man the 50. Seeing Moffitt clearing the chamber on his gun, Troy cleared his own. Hitch concentrated on his driving as Troy leaned down and pulled the dust cover. Tully's jeep pulled up alongside, and Moffitt nodded that he was ready.  
Getting closer, they could now distinguish between the different weapons. The American guns sounded like rifles while the Germans had rifles and the support of at least two halftracks.

Using hand signals, Troy sent Tully around one side of the approaching ridge while he had Hitch go around the other end. The scene before them looked bad for the outgunned Allies.

Hitch drove straight at the halftrack shelling the American trucks in the valley below. Their big guns had a much longer range than the American rifles. The shells were forcing the Allied soldiers to remain behind their trucks. Troy glanced down toward the American forces and noticed that they had managed to disable one halftrack on their own, but there were still three more that they had missed. Those three were creating havoc with the Allies. Returning his attention to the task in front of him, he prepared to rectify their mistake.

The jeep approached from behind, surprising the crew of the halftrack. The gunners hadn't heard their approach over the sounds of their own guns. They fired another shell at the trucks below, oblivious to their own danger. The American soldiers ducked the flying shrapnel and debris as the shell landed mere yards from their line. The German soldiers took advantage of their actions by moving closer.

Troy's 50 began to chatter, the bullets pinging off of the steel sides of the armored vehicle. The German soldiers turned in shock in time to face the next volley of lead. There were grunts and screams of pain as the heavy lead tore through their bodies. One after another they either fell backwards over the side or collapsed into the space in the back.

The second halftrack on the hill exploded as Tully and Moffitt put its crew out of action. The lead hit the gas tank, causing a flood of gasoline to run down over the engine compartment. The hot engine caught fire as the gasoline fumes ignited. Soldiers in the area stood up to run and were cut down by the soldiers below.

Some of the soldiers next to the halftrack turned their attention to the jeep. Troy yelled a warning as bullets whizzed past his head like angry bees. Hitch reacted by driving his jeep behind the disabled halftrack, giving them a moment to prepare to return the gunfire. When the jeep cleared the disabled vehicle Troy had the 50 lined up to deal with the foot soldiers. Those soldiers ducked wildly as they realized their cover wouldn't protect them from the heavy gun.

The sergeant yelled another warning as a German soldier threw a grenade at them. Hitch cut the wheel and ducked as the explosion rocked the jeep. Dirt and small pieces of stone rained down on them as he turned to drive around the end of the ridge. Glancing back at his sergeant, Hitch nodded as Troy motioned him to go back. They could both hear the guns on the third halftrack still pounding the American position.

The German gunners were ready for them this time. A shell landed in front of the jeep as it cleared the ridge. Hitch swerved sharply, throwing Troy off balance. He missed the gunners but he did manage to send them ducking for cover. Bullets hit the base of the 50, drawing Troy's attention back to the soldiers lying in the sand. Lowering the barrel of the 50, Troy raked the ground around the halftrack sending geysers of sand and blood flying. There was a definite difference in resistance by the time Hitch ducked for cover again.

Troy spun the 50, climbing into the passenger seat to cover their retreat. The few soldiers who dared to raise their heads soon discovered why it was a bad idea. Troy turned to tell Hitch to go back but just then he heard Moffitt's 50 open fire. Without waiting to be told, Hitch swung back to give the other jeep some support.

They flew over the ridge instead of going around. The first thing Troy noticed was a German soldier getting ready to throw a grenade at Moffitt's jeep. Troy's 50 cut him down, his body falling forward, the grenade slipping from his fingers and rolling down the slope. The explosion caught three more soldiers dug into the sand below him on the hill.

Hitch spotted a German with a machine gun about to fire at the other jeep. Knowing that Troy wouldn't be able to swing the 50 around in time to save the others, he aimed his vehicle in that direction. The German with the machine gun heard the roar of the motor as Hitch gunned the engine. He tried to turn and shoot at the new threat. Hitch ran him down, knocking the machine from his hands with the front bumper. The soldier let out a scream before slumping to the ground unconscious.

Hitch steeled himself against his own reaction to what he had done. The act, though justified to save American lives, namely their own, still went against his nature. He made a promise to himself that if the Americans won this battle, he would personally check on the soldier's condition.

Another brief flurry of shots from a 50 and Moffitt's jeep reappeared in front of them. Moffitt was busy defending the jeep from the rifle fire of the soldiers still positioned on the hill.

Troy sent Hitch back toward he third halftrack. Since Moffitt had the attention of the Germans, he wanted to finish off the armored vehicle before it could do any more damage. As soon as it came into sight it was clear that Moffitt and Tully had had some success. Only two crew members still struggled to send shells into the valley. Seeing Troy and Hitchcock coming toward them, they reacted by jumping over the side, abandoning the vehicle.

With an overhand throw, Troy lobbed a grenade into the abandoned vehicle. The resulting explosion was met by a sudden and dramatic drop in small arms fire. The Germans still fighting were looking around, debating if they wanted to continue the fight.

The sergeant heard an engine clattering and turned to see a German patrol car disappear around another ridge. He called to Hitch and pointed, but by the time they reached the other ridge the patrol car had joined several others and was rapidly retreating. Troy reached down and tapped his driver on the shoulder. When the blond looked up Troy told him to head for the valley where the American troops were mopping up.

As they drove into the valley the battered Germans were surrendering their weapons and being rounded up by the victorious Allied forces. Driving up to the group of Americans standing by the trucks, they were greeted with cheers and waves.

Troy noticed that there were four German trucks still sitting in the road where they had apparently fallen victim to the trap set by the Americans. One badly damaged halftrack sat in front of the trucks, blocking the road. Thick black smoke poured from the halftrack as American soldiers swarmed over it.

A group of soldiers were unloading wounded Germans from the rear of one of the trucks. Since they were all on stretchers Troy decided that it was safe to assume that at least one of the trucks in the German convoy had been transporting wounded.

Spotting an officer among the Americans, Troy had Hitch pull up. As Tully parked behind him, Troy called to Moffitt to follow.

"Hitch, Tully, check the jeeps for damage. We may have trouble with those patrol cars so we need them ready."

"Right Sarge." Hitch answered, popping a bubble.

Tully nodded, his eyes watching all of the activity around them.

Knocking the dust off of his clothes with his hat, Troy headed for the captain trying to organize the chaos. "Sergeants Troy and Moffitt Sir." Troy introduced himself and Moffitt as he saluted the officer.

Turning in surprise, the tall officer examined the two men before him. If he was disappointed in their scruffy appearance he gave no indication. "You're the men with the jeeps." The captain spoke with a heavy southern accent. Troy found himself thinking that Tully might enjoy talking to this guy. "Thanks for your help. We had them outnumbered but those big guns were giving us a lot of trouble."

"Glad to be of help Sir." Troy responded with a smile.

"I hate to look a gift horse in the mouth Sergeant, but how did you just happen to be out here?"

"Long Range Desert Group Sir." Troy explained. "Captain Boggs sent us out to see what the Germans in this sector were up to. They've been pretty active these last few weeks and the Captain doesn't like surprises."

"Neither do I Sergeant, but in your case, I'll make an exception." The officer smiled in a friendly manner. "Let me introduce myself, Captain Jackson Beauregard at your service."

"Louisiana Sir?"

"How did you know Sergeant?"

"Just a lucky guess Sir."

"The accent gave me away." The Captain laughed as if it happened all of the time. "It always does. Although I've been away for years, I can't seem to get rid of the accent. You say the Germans have been active, are we in danger of meeting any more columns?"

"Not likely Sir." Troy told him, looking toward the ground. "There are about seven patrol cars out there though. They got away while we were dealing with the halftracks." The sergeant looked up to see if the officer was taking his warning seriously.

Captain Beauregard waved it off. "We can handle a few patrol cars Sergeant."

"They won't face you head on Captain."

"We've got them outnumbered Sergeant, and without those halftracks, I'm confident that we can handle them."

"Yes Sir." Troy responded warily.

The Captain paused to answer questions from several of his officers before turning back to Troy and Moffitt. "Is there anything else we can do for you Sergeant? Replace your spent ammunition, more gas, anything?"

"No," Troy responded, "we're good Sir. My men are checking the jeeps for damage, but other than that, we have everything we need."

"Captain." A young lieutenant rushed toward the group including Captain Beauregard.

"What is it Lieutenant?"

"Sir, we have the commander of the column. He was in the damaged halftrack."

The Captain smiled at the news. "Bring him here Lieutenant."

The young officer hesitated, "The medic doesn't want to move him Sir. He was badly wounded when we hit his vehicle."

"Oh, I see…I'll go see him then. What's his name Lieutenant?"

"Captain Dietrich Sir."


	2. Chapter 2

**Convoys and Advice**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 2

Troy and Moffitt had started to turn away until they heard the name.

"Dietrich?"

"Do you know him Sergeant?" Captain Beauregard asked.

"Yes Sir." The sergeant answered, wondering what the lieutenant meant by badly wounded. "He's the top German commander in this sector. He is the commander of the base near here. Do you mind if we take a look Captain?"

"By all means Sergeant, be my guest." The Captain turned to his lieutenant. "Lead the way Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir."

The three men, followed by a group of soldiers, soon stood near the German halftrack where Captain Dietrich had been removed from his vehicle. He lay stretched out on a blanket, unconscious. A medic worked to control the bleeding from a wound in his chest.

Troy studied the still form. The captain's face had a waxy look to it that didn't bode well for his recovery. He looked washed out with sunken features and a boneless quality that Troy knew was a sign of something serious. His breathing was rapid and shallow, hinting that he was in shock.

"How is he?"

The medic looked up at his captain. "Not good Sir. He has a bullet lodged in his chest."

"What are his chances?"

"Not good Sir." The medic repeated his earlier answer. He pressed his hands harder against the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. "If we move him with this bullet in there we'll kill him for sure."

"Sarge, the jeeps are ready." Tully and Hitch arrived to tell the sergeants that the jeeps hadn't been damaged. "Dietrich?"

Troy looked up at his men, noting the looks of concern for the injured German. "Yeah, he's hurt pretty bad."

"That's one tough kraut." Tully observed as he watched the medic struggle to control the bleeding. "He's been hurt before and come back to fight us again."

"Not this time private." The medic replied as he held his hands over the wound. "We can't move him without killing him while that bullet is in there and we can't stay here."

"Take it out." The blond demanded.

"I can't private, I'm only a medic. I'd kill him trying to take it out. What he needs is a surgeon."

"Then get him one." Hitch insisted. "We can't just let him die." The blonde's voice rose in anger.

"Hitch." Troy cautioned.

"A surgeon could save him Sarge. He'd do the same for us. You know he would." Big blue eyes pleaded with the sergeant for support.

"We don't have a surgeon with us." Captain Beauregard told him quietly. "I'm sorry, but if the medics can't help him, he will have to take his chances with the bullet in there."

"The Germans have a surgeon Captain, a good one!"

"I'm not about to send him back to his own base Private."

"No Sir." Hitch explained. "The surgeon is here. One of the trucks that you captured was carrying wounded. They have a surgeon with them, I saw him!"

"Who Hitch?" Troy asked, his curiosity aroused.

"Captain Friedrich. I saw him tending to their wounded Sarge."

"Who?" Captain Beauregard asked in confusion.

"A surgeon named Captain Friedrich. He's stationed at Dietrich's base. He's a good surgeon Sir. If anyone could save Dietrich, he could." Troy held his breath as he waited for the Captain to make a decision.

"Just how would you know this Sergeant?"

"We keep a close eye on Dietrich's base. Like I said, he's the top German commander around here."

"And we have had the pleasure of watching the Captain at work Sir." Moffitt added. "He has saved Private Hitchcock's life twice."

Captain Beauregard opened his mouth to ask another question but just then the medic shifted his grip.

"I can't stop the bleeding Sir." The medic called as he pressed harder on the wad of gauze. "He's going to bleed to death pretty soon."

"We'll have to save that story for another time Sergeant." The Captain decided. "Lieutenant, see if you can locate this Doctor Friedrich."

"I'll go with him Sir, I know right where to find him." Hitch hurried off to get the surgeon with the Lieutenant and several other men following behind.

They found the doctor bandaging the wounds on one of the German prisoners. The doctor didn't look up as the men stopped beside him.

"Is this him?" The Lieutenant asked.

Hitch nodded.

"Doctor, you need to come with us." The Lieutenant demanded.

Doctor Friedrich looked up without rising. "I have wounded to tend." He stated flatly. His eyes found Hitchcock and he smiled at the private. "I see that my work was not spoiled by returning you to your friends."

"No Sir," Hitch smiled in return. "They followed your instructions to the letter. I never really thanked you."

"There is no need Private, but if you really want to thank me, try not to get shot again." The doctor replied dryly. "Now if you will excuse me, these men need my help."

Hitch glanced around at the wounded Germans; none appeared to be in any immediate danger, not even the one he had run down. "We have someone who needs you Doctor."

"You have your own medics; these men have no one else." The doctor spoke to Hitch, ignoring the Lieutenant.

"You need to come with us." The Lieutenant repeated.

"Doctor Friedrich, we need a surgeon, our medic can't take the bullet out." Hitch pleaded.

"I am German Private; these German soldiers are my responsibility."

"I'll ask our medic to take care of them." Hitch responded. "Captain Dietrich needs you Sir, not a medic, you."

At the mention of the Captain's name, Captain Friedrich stopped what he was doing. "Captain Dietrich?"

"Yes Sir, he caught a bullet in the chest and they can't stop the bleeding. The medic said that he can't take the bullet out without killing him. You're the only one who can save him."

Doctor Friedrich nodded and wiped his hands. Giving instructions to one of the soldiers, he rose to follow Hitchcock and the Lieutenant.

"I will need my surgical kit."

"Where is it?"

Nodding toward the truck, the doctor told Hitch where to find it.

"I'll get it. Is there anything else that you'll need?"

Thinking for a second, the doctor added blankets and extra bandages to the list. While Hitch went to collect the needed items, the doctor followed the Lieutenant to his patient.

"Doctor," Moffitt acknowledged the officer as he knelt next to Dietrich. "Captain Beauregard has ordered that you be given everything that you need."

The doctor nodded, his attention on his patient. "I'll need a clean place to operate. Hot water. Morphine. Some ether. A mask and some bandages. Your private is bringing my surgical kit and some blankets." Finishing his initial exam, he sat back on his heels. "We're going to need blood, several units."

"We aren't carrying any blood with us Doctor; you'll have to make do without it." Captain Beauregard explained.

"We'll get it for you." Moffitt assured him.

"How Sergeant?" Captain Beauregard demanded. "We don't have any."

"You have plenty of unwounded prisoners Captain." Moffitt answered. "The doctor can do a direct transfer from live donors. I'm sure that the Captain's men will be more than willing to help their commander. The Captain is a popular commander." Moffitt turned to Captain Friedrich. "We just need to know his blood type so we can ask for volunteers. Will four men be enough?"

"That will suffice Sergeant." Doctor Friedrich checked Dietrich's dog tags for the correct blood type. "As I noted before Sergeant, you and your friends are very resourceful and determined."

Moffitt smiled. "With your permission Captain." Captain Beauregard nodded his permission as he watched the preparations for the surgery. Taking Tully and Hitch and several of the American soldiers, he headed for the group of German prisoners.

"Oh Sir." Hitch stopped and turned toward Captain Beauregard. "Would your medic be able to finish treating the German wounded? Captain Friedrich didn't have time to take care of all of them."

"I'll send a medic right over." The southern officer promised.

The Rat Patrol and the American officers stood around and waited as the doctor operated to remove the bullet from the German captain's chest. Troy kept checking his watch and glancing at the hills above them. Not to be hurried, Doctor Friedrich took his time, handling his instruments with a delicate touch. An American medic acted as his assistant, making sure that the patient didn't wake up during the surgery. A second medic arrived after treating the wounded Germans and helped to monitor the vital signs and keep an eye on the blood donors. Moffitt's goal of four volunteers had doubled before he could say enough. The volunteers stood to one side watching the proceedings with worried frowns.

Troy checked his watch again.

"Is there someplace that you need to be Sergeant?" Captain Beauregard inquired after noticing the repeated action.

"I don't like sitting here while those patrol cars are out there Captain." He glanced at the hills above the valley. "If it's all right with you Captain, I think that we should go take a look around. Dietrich's base isn't that far away, we don't want to get caught flat-footed out here."

At the mention of the base, the Captain scanned the hills too. "Go ahead Sergeant; I told you before, I don't like most surprises. Your little group is probably the only exception I'm likely to run into today."

"We'll take a look around and be back in a bit Captain." Troy called to his men and the jeeps pulled out, leaving the American troops stranded in the valley until the doctor was finished working on Captain Dietrich.

Nearly two hours later they returned to say that they had chased the patrols cars off and had failed to find any sign of another column. "Those patrol cars are keeping an eye on you Captain. I have no doubt that they radioed the base for help. The sooner you get moving the better off you'll be."

"We were waiting on your report Sergeant. We didn't want to move out and run right into more Germans. Now that we know what's out there, we'll head back to our own base."

"Don't underestimate those patrol cars." Troy warned.

"We're aware of them Sergeant, don't worry."

Troy nodded, unconvinced. "How is Captain Dietrich?"

Captain Beauregard smiled. "You were right Sergeant, that surgeon is good. He wouldn't be rushed and he insisted on calling all of the shots where the Captain's care is concerned. He managed to remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. The Captain isn't out of the woods yet, but he looked much better by the time the doctor finished."

"Doctor Friedrich has his own code of ethics. He told me once that he was a doctor first and a German second."

"Was that when he saved your private's life?"

"One of them Captain. The first time we didn't give him much choice, we held a gun to his head. That was before we realized that he would have done it anyway. That one nearly cost him his own life. A colonel accused him of treason for saving the life of an enemy."

"What happened?"

"The colonel was suffering from battle fatigue and was deemed an unreliable witness. Lucky for us or the doctor wouldn't have been around to save him the second time."

The Captain cocked an eyebrow to encourage Troy to continue.

"Hitch got shot in the back. Dietrich took him to Doctor Friedrich right away and the doctor saved his life."

"Why would the Captain do that?"

"He had his reasons, mostly his sense of honor." Troy got lost in the memory for a minute, recalling his own part in the near tragedy. Shaking it off, he continued, "Anyway, Dietrich has always treated prisoners humanely. He believes in respecting the enemy until they prove they don't deserve it."

"You mean like 'innocent until proven guilty'?"

"Yeah, like that. For a kraut, Dietrich is all right." Troy studied the officer in front of him, wondering if he understood what he was trying to convey. "Some Germans think that to show compassion is a sign of weakness. Dietrich doesn't fall into that category. Don't get me wrong, he's all German, one of the best officers they've got."

"He sounds interesting Sergeant, I hope that he survives the journey to the base. I look forward to speaking with him once he recovers."

"Just don't get him started on us." Troy warned with a laugh. "He's usually not very happy with us." Some movement caught his eye and he noticed that the privates had returned with the jeeps. "I guess we're ready to go Captain. I wish you luck and a safe journey."

"Take care Sergeant, I look forward to more conversations with you in the future."

"I'd like that Captain." Troy climbed into his jeep, hoping that the Captain didn't get too complacent about the German patrol cars. The Rat Patrol knew better than most just how fickle fate could be in desert warfare.


	3. Chapter 3

**Convoys and Advice**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 3

Captain Boggs called the Rat Patrol into his office for another assignment. "We have a convoy going out to one of our units on the front lines. I need you and your team to provide them with an escort."

"Yes Sir, when do they leave?" Troy responded, eager to leave, glad to have something to do. After rescuing Captain Beauregard's convoy, they had returned to base to report to Captain Boggs. That had been six days ago and they had been on base ever since, bored to death. Troy was ready for some action and he was sure that the others felt the same way.

"It pulls out at 0600 tomorrow morning. There have been some reports of German activity in the area and I want you to be on the alert. The convoy leader is green and could use some help. If you see a problem, don't be afraid to suggest a solution."

"Yes Sir."

"Lieutenant Artley is the officer you will be escorting, report to him before the convoy leaves in the morning."

"Yes Sir."

"Stay and escort the trucks on their return trip too." The Captain ordered. "The Germans hit the last convoy on their way back and blew up half of the trucks."

"Empty trucks Sir?"

The Captain smiled. "I guess they're mad about something. Ever since Captain Dietrich got shot they've been on a tear, hitting anything and everything."

"Who knew that it was Dietrich who kept them under control?" Troy laughed. "I would have thought that it would be the other way around."

Captain Boggs had read the reports on the incident and he wasn't sure that he understood everything that had occurred. He knew that the Rat Patrol had a strange relationship with the German captain, but he wasn't concerned as long as they continued to do their job.

The next morning the convoy was ready to leave at 0600. Lieutenant Artley moved them out after speaking with Sergeant Troy and comparing notes on the route they were planning to follow. With the jeeps ranging ahead, the convoy made good time. The ten trucks carried fuel, ammunition, and rations for the front line unit.

Concerned about the fuel trucks, Troy suggested that they keep them in the middle of the line, separated by enough distance that they wouldn't be a danger to the other trucks if there was an explosion.

"I don't want to set them up as a target." Lieutenant Artley argued as they took their first rest stop.

"Captain Boggs says that the krauts are hitting everything Lieutenant. If that's the case, they're all targets. I'm just trying to minimize the damage if one of them gets hit."

"Then don't let them get hit Sergeant. I was under the impression that that was your job, protecting the convoy." The officer declared hotly.

"We can't be everywhere Lieutenant. We'll do our best but you can't afford to take any unnecessary chances."

"You do your job Sergeant, I'll do mine."

Troy nodded curtly and saluted. When the lieutenant dismissed him he stalked to the jeeps.

"What's wrong Sarge?" Hitchcock asked as he saw the sergeant's expression.

"The Lieutenant doesn't want to take any precautions because we aren't supposed to let the convoy get hit." He growled in frustration.

Hitch smiled, his blue eyes sparkling with humor. "We've reached super human status. Now they think we can protect them from the entire Afrika Korps."

Troy had to smile despite his reservations. "Okay, maybe I worry too much, but we're not super human." He eyed the blond private, "You do understand that don't you?"

"Sure Sarge," his driver laughed, "but you have to admit, we're close." Hitch ducked as Troy took a swing at him.

"Don't get cocky." Troy growled as he tried to hide his smile.

"Really Sarge," Hitch answered more seriously, "they can't blame us if they get hit. We do our best and usually that's enough. If some Germans get through, it's up to them to avoid them, that's why they bring guards along."

"We are their guards."

"You know what I mean Sarge."

"What did you suggest that the Lieutenant didn't like?" Moffitt asked. When Troy finished repeating his conversation with Lieutenant Artley Moffitt shook his head. "It seems they never learn. Why send protection if they aren't going to listen to us or do anything to save themselves?"

"It's all of these new officers thinking that they know it all." Tully decided. "It's too bad that some of them have to learn the hard way."

"At least Captain Beauregard was willing to listen." Hitch added. "I wondered if Captain Dietrich survived the trip to the base."

"He had Doctor Friedrich and he did a pretty good job on you…twice." Tully told his friend.

"I talked to the doctor before we left and he said that he thought that Dietrich would be alright if he didn't get an infection." Hitch explained.

"Dietrich is no longer our problem." Troy stated flatly. "First chance we get I'd like to run by his base and see if we can find out who took over his command."

"It's going to seem odd without Dietrich." Tully suggested. "At least we knew something about him and how he thought."

"We'll get to know the new guy too." Troy promised. "I'm sure that we'll run into him a lot now that Dietrich is gone."

"Admit it Troy, you're going to miss him too." Moffitt teased with a twinkle in his eyes. "We've grown kind of accustomed to the challenges that the good captain presented. I can't help but wonder what his replacement will be like."

"Let's hope we don't find out on this trip, Lt. Artley will blame us for anything that happens."

Tully slammed the hood on his jeep and tightened the strap. "All ready Sarge."

"Hitch?"

"All set Sarge."

"Then I guess we'd better roll before the Lieutenant decides we're not doing our job."

The jeeps pulled out and made a wide sweep in front of the convoy. Seeing nothing, Troy ordered them to split up and check both sides of the route. They met at the other end and did a sweep to make sure that they weren't being followed. Again, they found no sign of Germans.

"We'll sweep around the front again; if they have an ambush planned they'll need to get in front of us."

"Split up and check the sides again?" Tully asked as he shifted in his seat, ready to move again.

"Yeah," Troy agreed, "we're close enough to cover each other if we run into trouble."

Tully swung his jeep over to the other side of the convoy, checking the ridges above the road. Troy and Hitch were doing the same on their side. They were nearing the front of the convoy when the sound of Moffitt's 50 caliber machine gun reached them. Hitch checked ahead and noted that they were almost done with their side. Picking up speed, they cleared the last possible hiding places on their side before dropping down by the convoy and cutting between the trucks. Troy noticed as they passed that the first fuel truck had dropped behind the truck in front of him and was maintaining a safe distance but the one behind him was way too close.

Hitting the other side at full speed, Hitch angled up the slope to help Moffitt. The other jeep was parked behind some boulders. Tully sat in his jeep chewing on a matchstick while Moffitt examined two bodies. Both were dressed in Arab robes and there were old, outdated rifles lying next to them on the ground.

Ordering Hitch to stay in the jeep, he joined the British sergeant, careful not to disturb anything until Moffitt had examined the ground.

"What do you have?"

Another jeep roared up from the convoy and halted behind the two belonging to the Rat Patrol. Lieutenant Artley climbed out and stomped over to the bodies. Troy started to rise, to tell the Lieutenant to stay back until they could check the tracks, but Moffitt waved him off. The Lieutenant kicked sand over the marks on the ground as he leaned in to see the dead men.

"Arabs! You killed Arabs!" He yelled angrily. "I thought your job was to protect us from the Germans." He accused.

"Our job is to protect the convoy." Moffitt answered before Troy could reply.

"So why are you shooting Arabs? Look at those weapons! Those men were harmless."

"Hardly." Moffitt answered in the same cool tone he had used to calm Troy on numerous occasions. Pulling the robes aside on one of the Arabs, he revealed a walkie-talkie. "Somewhere not too far from here there is another one of these. And whoever has the other one probably has a radio too. By now the Germans know right where we are."

"That's just great," Troy growled, "now we'll have to change course."

"We will not!" The Lieutenant shouted. "We'll continue on this course and you and your men will do your jobs. You can range ahead and make sure that the Germans don't set up an ambush. That's your job! Now I suggest that we move before they have time to get someone out here."

Four sets of eyes watched him as he returned to his jeep and ordered his driver to take him back to the convoy.

"That went well." Hitch said in the silence that followed the lieutenant's departure.

Troy glared at him but didn't respond to the comment. Climbing behind the 50, he waited for Moffitt to get into his jeep. "Let's shake it, we have our work cut out for us. Stay alert!"

The jeeps were scouting in front of the convoy just as the Lieutenant ordered. They had just finished one sweep and were turning to start another when they heard it. They raced for the convoy and arrived just as a German Stuka began its strafing run on the line of vehicles. The drivers heard the engines scream as the plane began its attack and they scattered in every direction. The ones in front headed for the open desert while the ones behind had to put on a burst of speed to get clear of the dunes on either side.

Troy and Moffitt opened fire on the Stuka even as it began to shoot at the trucks. The last truck in line was stitched from one end to the other. Troy was surprised to see it still running after the plane passed. He concentrated his aim at the fast moving aircraft, hoping to drive it off. Spinning the 50 as the plane passed over his head, he tried to keep the big gun aimed at a point in front of the Stuka, letting his target run into his lead.

Tully and Moffitt were chasing the Stuka too. Troy could hear the hammering of the other gun. There was a loud clunk and a dark, oily plume of smoke poured from the plane's engine. As the engine failed, the Stuka pilot fired one final burst of bullets at the American trucks.

One of the fuel trucks exploded in a ball of flames, the driver jumping from the cab as the bullets headed directly for his truck. The flash of the fire hit the truck following behind, causing the driver to crash into some rocks as he was blinded by the flames. He jumped clear of his vehicle and looked for something to shelter him from the heat. As more barrels in the first truck ignited, shrapnel and debris was sent flying through the air, keeping the drivers pinned where they cowered.

The pilot tried valiantly to pull the nose of his plane up so he could gain altitude. The engine sputtered and died as the soldiers below watched. He managed to eject just moments before the plane nose-dived into the sand nearly a mile away. Now there were two plumes of oily black smoke rising from the desert floor.

Lieutenant Artley drove up in his jeep, red-faced as he surveyed the damage. "You were supposed to protect us!" He yelled at the four men. Singling out Troy, he vented his frustration. "I'm going to report you for this. Where were you when we were attacked? This is all your fault and I intend to see that Captain Boggs hears about it as soon as we get back to the base."

"You do that Lieutenant," Troy told him without flinching, "but in the meantime, you'd better get this convoy moving. Those smoke plumes will bring every kraut for twenty miles. Unless you want to lose more trucks, you don't want to be here when they arrive."

Troy nodded to Hitch who hit the gas and left the Lieutenant standing next to his jeep.

"We were doing what he told us to do." The blond complained when they were far enough away that the officer couldn't hear him.

"Don't worry about it. We'll give the Captain our report and let him figure it out. He's been around long enough that he knows the score." Troy motioned Tully and Moffitt to the other side of the convoy and they returned to sweeping the road ahead to avoid any ambushes.

The convoy rolled into their destination late in the afternoon. After the airplane incident, they had managed to avoid any more trouble. If the Germans had spotted the smoke, they hadn't bothered to try to track the convoy.

Troy climbed out of his jeep and told Hitch and Tully to make sure that they were ready to leave in the morning. "After you take care of the jeeps you might as well hunt up some chow. Moffitt and I will report to the commander and get some tent assignments. I don't know about you but I could use some sleep."

"We'll meet you at the chow tent." Tully told them. "Don't be long because I don't think we'll be able you save you a seat."

"You guys eat and we'll take your seats when we get there." Troy told him with a grin.

Both privates nodded and threaded their way through the crowds to the makeshift motor pool.

The sergeants ask directions to the commander's tent. Upon arrival they announced themselves to the commander's aide.

"I'll let him know that you're here Sergeant."

When they were led into the commander's presence, Troy smiled with pleasure. Captain Beauregard stood and returned the smile.

"Hello Captain, we were wondering where you ended up." The sergeant greeted the officer warmly as he saluted.

"Hello Sergeant. I still don't know where I ended up myself, but according to headquarters, it's exactly where I am supposed to be."

"Navigation on the desert can be tricky Captain. You aren't the first to find it confusing and you probably won't be the last."

"So I've heard. Now what's this I hear about you having some trouble on your way here?"

"Nothing major Captain, we had a Stuka attack that accounted for one fuel truck and damage to another. We managed to save the second truck and its cargo. I hope you aren't too low on fuel, it might take a few days to get another one here."

"We'll manage Sergeant. I could use it, but we aren't desperate yet. I'll send a message to headquarters telling them what happened and ask for a replacement load." The Captain paused and faced the two sergeants. "Now what do you have to say about your trouble with Lieutenant Artley?"

Troy shrugged. "We did our job to the best of our ability. We followed his orders and did sweeps in front of the convoy. He's the one who chose to ignore our warnings."

"What warnings?"

"I warned him that keeping the trucks too close together would result in additional damage to the convoy if one of the fuel trucks was hit. We also told him that those Arabs Moffitt killed had probably radioed our position. He thought that forward sweeps were all he needed to keep the convoy safe. We can warn them Captain, but it's up to them to take our advice."

"Yes Sergeant, I'm afraid I learned that the hard way too."

"Sir?"

"You warned me about those patrol cars. I made the mistake of thinking that you were worrying too much. I got over confident and paid the price." The Captain smiled as he admitted his mistake. "They attacked after you left. While six of them kept us busy, the other one separated one of the trucks from the convoy. We didn't realize what they were doing until the truck was well out of range." The Captain shrugged at his own ignorance. "They pushed the driver and the guard out and left them in the desert. The driver broke his arm but the guard escaped unharmed, except for a bump on his head."

"They were lucky." Troy told him. "According to Captain Boggs, the Germans have been on a rampage." He paused to consider the timing. "How did Captain Dietrich handle the trip back?"

Captain Beauregard chuckled. "Would you believe, the truck full of wounded was the only truck they took? You'll be taking the rest of the prisoners back with you when you leave tomorrow."

"So Dietrich got away?" Troy couldn't hide his smile. "You have to admit, his men are loyal. They knew exactly which truck he was in."

"Afraid so." Captain Beauregard replied. "I was rather disappointed, I was looking forward to talking with him when he was feeling better. I would have liked to get to know him a bit."

"Well Captain," Troy warned, "if he survived, and I'm betting he did, you'll get your wish. A word of warning, don't underestimate him. Dietrich is an intelligent, cunning adversary; it's hard to figure out what he'll do next."

"I'll take that warning to heart Sergeant; the voice of experience and all that." The Captain handed Troy a sealed envelope. "Would you deliver this to your commanding officer?"

"As soon as we get back Sir." Troy responded, taking the envelope. Troy left the Captain's office with a smile on his face.

"It seems that Captain Beauregard has adapted well to his new position." Moffitt remarked as they waited for the Captain's aide to assign them sleeping quarters.

"He'll make a good commander. He's a quick learner and he's not afraid to accept advice." Troy agreed.

"I just hope he doesn't get too well acquainted with Dietrich."

"Yeah, he needs to be careful what he wishes for." Troy smiled.

"You're glad he got away."

Troy shrugged. "It could be worse. He could have been replaced with some arrogant Nazi officer. When it comes right down to it, Dietrich's not so bad."

"Shall we break the news to the lads?"

Troy grinned. "Why not? It affects them too."

Talk centered around Dietrich as they guided the convoy back toward their base. Neither private seemed to be too upset by the news of the Captain's escape. They all speculated on how long it would take the officer to recover from his close brush with death.

The debate continued when Troy and Moffitt informed Captain Boggs of the development. "Why wasn't I informed earlier?"

"The Captain said that he didn't have the proper codes to send the message in code Sir."

The Captain accepted the envelope from Sergeant Troy and scanned the contents while the sergeants waited. "Did you have trouble with Lieutenant Artley?"

"No Sir." Troy replied. "A difference of opinion, but no trouble; it's all in our report Sir."

"All right sergeant, wait outside, I may have another assignment for you."

"Yes Sir." As Troy and Moffitt took seats in the hall, they heard Captain Boggs call Lieutenant Artley into his office. They didn't try to ease drop, but the Captain's angry voice carried well, even through the door.

"The next time someone with more experience gives you advice, consider taking it Lieutenant. Any man on that team has more experience than you. If you had listened to them you might have saved at least one of those trucks, maybe even both of them."

Troy looked over at Moffitt, and by mutual agreement, they moved to seats further from the Captain's door. When the Lieutenant exited the office they managed to be busy looking the other way.

"Sergeant Troy!"

When they returned to the Captain's office the officer was still red-faced.

"Yes Sir." Troy answered quietly.

"Take your team and guide a truck load of fuel to Captain Beauregard's base. I want you to leave tonight. The first twenty-five miles are on a well-used road so you should be able to drive it at night. That should give you a good start so you can get there late tomorrow morning or early in the afternoon."

"Just one truck Sir?"

"That's all we can spare at this time."

"We'll be ready Sir."

"Sergeant," Captain Boggs paused, "the Captain needs the fuel and we aren't going to get another shipment for a week at least. This load has to get through."

"Yes Sir."


	4. Chapter 4

**Convoys and Advice**

By: AliasCWN

Chapter 4

"We'll keep to the road until daylight, then we'll lead you across the open desert. We can expect the Germans to be watching the road. If we tell you to do something, do it, don't ask questions, just do it." Troy talked to the driver and gave him instructions before leaving the base.

The young private assigned to drive the truck nodded nervously. "I heard that the last truck blew up."

Troy nodded, "But that isn't going to happen to this one. This one is going to get through."

"Promise Sergeant?" Private Tuttle asked.

"Just do what you're told and leave the rest to us." Troy answered him. With that final bit of advice, they set out for the base where Captain Beauregard waited for his fuel. They rolled off of the base just after dark. The road ahead was well traveled but there were plenty of pot holes in the travel lanes. Hitch led the way, keeping his speed down to save the vehicles from doing damage in the holes.

The truck driver tried to stay close, keeping right on their bumper. After the third near collision when he sped up or they slowed down, Troy had had enough. Telling Hitch to stop, he watched as the truck nearly hit the jeep again. Climbing out of the jeep, he stepped up onto the running board of the truck.

Pvt. Tuttle lowered the window, glancing around nervously. "Is something wrong Sergeant? Did the Germans find us already?"

"No Private," Troy assured him patiently, "the Germans haven't found us, but if these two vehicles collide, they might. If either one of these vehicles is damaged we'll have to stop and assess the damage. We don't want that, now do we Private?"

"No Sarge." Pvt. Tuttle stuttered.

"Good, then drop back a bit."

"But I don't want to lose you in the dark!" The private exclaimed.

"Private, we're on a road; you're not going to lose us as long as you stay on the road."

The private nodded, embarrassed at his nervousness.

"Look Private, our job is to get this truck through." Troy explained. The private nodded that he understood. "We're not going to let you get lost. If you were to somehow get separated, we'd come find you. Okay?"

"Okay." Pvt. Tuttle nodded with a weak smile.

"All right then. There's a jeep behind you to make sure that you don't take any wrong turns. Just follow the road. Let's get moving." Hitch smiled as Troy got back into his jeep. "Don't start." Troy warned his driver. "You were new once too."

"Yeah," Hitch admitted, "but Sarge, I don't remember you being so patient with me."

"Just drive." Troy growled.

Hitch chuckled and took the lead again. The rest of the night was uneventful with Pvt. Tuttle maintaining a safe distance between the vehicles. Troy sent Moffitt ahead to scout the road as the sun peeked over the horizon and Pvt. Tuttle began to crowd the jeep again. Troy turned in his seat to glare at the young driver, causing him to increase the distance again.

At Moffitt's return he had Tully drive alongside Troy. Calling across the narrow gap between the jeeps, he reported his findings. "We didn't see anybody but we did find horse tracks heading for the hills ahead of us."

"Spotters?"

"Possibly."

Troy nodded. "Okay, lead us around them. Just keep in mind that Pvt. Tuttle isn't an experienced desert driver."

Tully smiled at the comment and nodded as Moffitt repeated Troy's orders to him.

"One smooth road around the Arabs coming up."

Moffitt glanced over at Tully but with his goggles in place, Tully's expression was hard to read. "Tully, he's new."

Tully grinned as he looked over at the British sergeant. "I got it Sarge." At Moffitt's stern look, Tully continued. "No, I got it Sarge. It's just that it's been awhile since we pampered anyone like this." Tully paused. "It's almost like home when one of the little ones goes along somewhere."

"Only there you don't have to worry about them getting blown up." The sergeant pointed out.

"Sometimes you do." Tully grinned. "This one time, I took my little brother over to the neighbors with me while I visited with a friend. My friend's brother had a whole bag full of these firecrackers. Jubal and I caught them just as they were about to set the whole works off…all at once."

Moffitt chuckled at the picture that Tully painted with his words. "I see your point. I take it that no one was injured in this story."

"Well," Tully grinned again, "Jubal's brother came pretty close to getting his backside tanned real good." Tully smiled at the memory. "I don't think he ever ask for fireworks again."

"A lesson well learned then." The sergeant paused, something about Tully's smile suggested that there was more to the story. "What happened to the fireworks?" He finally asked.

This time Tully laughed around his matchstick. "Jubal and I confiscated them. We had a blast blowing things up."

"Ah," Moffitt smiled, "so that's where you acquired your love of things that explode?"

"You might say that." Tully answered.

They rode in silence as the sun cleared the horizon and traveled across the sky. Troy spotted a patrol in the distance and they stopped to let it pass. Once they found more horse tracks cutting in front of them but they were several hours old and there were no good ambush spots in the area of the tracks.

The jeeps continued to do sweeps in front of the truck. At the noon rest stop Troy had both jeeps do a circle to check for tracks. The truck was hidden in a wadi under netting to hide it from the air.

A very worried Pvt. Tuttle met them on their return. "A plane flew over; I stayed under the net, just like you said." The young driver fidgeted anxiously. "That plane went right over me."

"That's all right," Troy soothed the young soldier. "We saw it too; it was one of ours, a scout plane."

The private showed his surprises. "I didn't even look out to see what it was." He appeared embarrassed by his actions. "I'm sorry Sergeant; you must think that I'm a coward."

"No," Troy responded kindly. "You're new to the desert and new to combat. I think that you need a little time to adjust. You're doing okay, you'll be fine." Troy looked around at the men gathered around. "Everybody grab something to eat." Looking at Hitch and Tully he added, "Make sure the jeeps and the truck are checked out. Move the jeeps next to the truck and see if you can stretch the netting to cover them too."

"What can I do?" Pvt. Tuttle asked.

Noting the flushed face, Troy didn't want him over exerting himself. "Can you cook?" He asked hopefully.

Tuttle smiled. "My Mom always says a man should know how to cook a meal, sew a button, and wash his own clothes."

Troy smiled. "Why don't you show us what she taught you? Hitch can show you where we store our supplies."

Tuttle smiled happily; glad to have something to do. He was soon whistling a happy tune as he stirred a meal that had Troy's stomach growling in anticipation.

"I don't know how you did it but those rations actually tasted good." Troy praised as he finished his plate.

Tuttle nodded his thanks. "My Mom includes spices in every care package that she sends. I carry them with me to flavor my rations." The private grinned as he watched the others clean their plates. "I tried using them in the mess hall but that didn't work out so well."

"What happened?" Hitch asked curiously.

"Some of the other fellows wanted some, and before I knew it, there was a whole crowd of guys who wanted to try it."

"You ran out of spices." The blond guessed.

"Nooo…" Tuttle drew the word out. "All the ruckus drew the attention of the cooks. When they found out what was going on they threw me out of the mess hall. They said if I didn't like what they cooked I could just starve."

"Can they do that Sarge?" Hitch asked indignantly.

Troy shrugged.

"It doesn't matter." Pvt. Tuttle told them. "I figured I could eat the stuff if everyone else could, I just save the spices for when I do my own cooking."

"You can cook for us anytime." Troy grinned.

"Maybe he could give Hitch lessons." Tully suggested, bumping shoulders with the blond. Hitch laughed, accustomed to being teased about his cooking skills, or in his case, lack of cooking skills.

Their meal over, they continued their journey. The jeeps were again making sweeps ahead and to the sides. Pvt. Tuttle was growing used to being alone. He knew that the jeeps were close, keeping an eye on him. He was crossing a flat spot on the desert floor, grateful for the easy driving; the sun baked sand was no worse to drive on than a lot of the roads back home. With the window rolled down to let the air flow through the cab, he whistled a tune he remembered from home.

A flash in the mirror caught his eye. He turned to look out the window as Moffitt's jeep pulled along the side of his truck. The sergeant stood in the back, holding onto the handles of his 50.

"Speed up and weave! Stay in the open desert, don't get yourself trapped in a wadi!" The British sergeant yelled at the top of his voice.

Tuttle nodded and hit the gas. Weaving with a liquid cargo was tricky but he tried it anyway since he knew that there had to be a good reason for the order. The reason became apparent a moment later when he barely dodged the strafing fire of the German Stuka. He could hear the gun on first one, then both, jeeps as they fired on the plane. The next few minutes were hectic as he tried to keep weaving, not knowing where the plane would strike next. He felt the truck tilt onto two wheels before dropping back onto four. Vowing not to weave so hard, he straightened the wheels a bit. After all, it didn't matter if he survived the plane if he crashed the truck in the process.

There was a loud explosion that startled him to the point of almost jerking the wheel. He realized that the plane had dropped its bomb. The cloud of dust and debris filled his passenger side window when he glanced over at it. He didn't have time to look for the two small jeeps that were working so hard to keep the plane off of him. Praying that his escorts were all right, he increased his speed. It was tempting to duck into a wadi to try to hide but Moffitt had warned him about getting trapped in one. Giving the few wadis he saw a quick look, he realized that they were too small anyway.

He caught a glimpse of something in his mirror. Reacting instinctively, he swerved away, weaving in the other direction. A jeep raced up next to him with Troy in the back.

"Slow down! Stop!" Troy cupped one hand to his mouth to make himself heard. "Slow down!"

Tuttle eased off of the gas as the message registered. Keeping a tense foot on the pedal, he waited for the sergeant's next order.

"You can stop now." Troy shouted at him.

Looking over at the sergeant, Tuttle realized that the sergeant didn't appear worried about the plane. Taking that as a good sign, he slowed his truck, allowing it to roll to a stop.

Hitchcock pulled the jeep right up next to the truck window.

"Take a breather, then we'll head out." Troy said in his normal voice.

"What about the plane?" Pvt. Tuttle glanced at the sky, searching for the Stuka.

"It left." Troy assured him. "The way his wing was flapping, he'll be lucky to make it all the way back to his base. He won't be back."

Tuttle let out a sigh of relief. "I thought he'd get me for sure."

"You did fine." Troy praised. "Thought you were going to tip it that one time."

"Almost did." Tuttle admitted. Looking around, he searched for the other jeep; the memory of the bomb blast reminding him of his earlier fears. "Where's the other jeep?"

"I sent them to make a sweep in case anyone heard the noise." Troy responded. "Get yourself a drink and then we'll get moving. That plane radioed our location to his base. They'll be sending out patrols to search for us." Tuttle looked startled at the news. "I wouldn't worry too much." Troy assured him. 'We're almost there and they still have to find us. We'll change course slightly. We don't have too much to worry about until we get closer. They'll have figured out our destination but we'll circle around and approach from the other side where they won't expect us."

"You're the boss Sarge." Pvt. Tuttle called, starting his truck, ready to leave immediately.

"Just follow us." Troy nodded his approval.

Tuttle fought the urge to crowd the jeep. Surprisingly, he felt more confident now that he had survived his first encounter with the enemy. Before long he was once again whistling as he drove.

After making a sweeping course adjustment the American base came into sight. They hadn't encountered any more trouble after chasing off the plane. It was early afternoon, right on schedule. Pulling onto the base, Tuttle parked his truck where the fuel could be unloaded. Crawling from the cab, he stretched his cramped muscles.

"Good job Private." A captain walked up to Tuttle with a smile on his face. "We were really hoping you'd make it through all right. We were getting a bit low on fuel."

"Thank you Sir."

"Now do you know where I can find your escorts?" The Captain asked in a friendly tone.

"I believe they had to make a stop at the motor pool Sir. They said something about one of their jeeps needing some repairs."

The Captain nodded. "Considering their line of work, I'm not surprised." Calling to the men unloading the truck to get the fuel under shelter as quickly as possible, he turned and headed toward the motor pool.

"Sergeant Troy!"

Troy turned from talking to a mechanic about their jeep to see Captain Beauregard approaching.

At the frown on the sergeant's face the Captain stopped. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really Captain. We need some repairs and I was told I need a signed requisition order before they'll even start the work."

"That's procedure Sergeant." Captain Beauregard reminded him.

"I know Sir. I was just thinking about how it's going to delay some much needed sleep. I'll have to find the duty officer and get him to sign it, in triplicate. Then I'll have to hunt down the officer in charge of the motor pool." Troy paused with a tired sigh. "I know that's the way the army works Sir. Sometimes it can be a little much."

Beauregard laughed. "Maybe I can be of help Sergeant. I can sign the requisition order and have it sent to all of the different officers who need to see it….and I can authorize this young man," he indicated the mechanic, "to begin the repairs immediately. Would that help?"

"It wouldn't hurt." Troy grinned. "Now if you could assign us sleeping quarters we'd be all set."

"I believe I can do that too." The Captain smiled. "On one condition."

"Name it Captain."

"After you've slept, I'd be honored if you would join me for a meal. I would like to pick your brain about a certain German captain."

"Captain Dietrich?"

"The very one."

"You've heard from him then?" Troy asked.

"Not yet." Beauregard admitted. "But one of our patrols clashed with a German patrol and several enemy soldiers were taken prisoner. They haven't given us much information but they did confirm that Captain Dietrich survived his wound. Apparently he's expected to make a complete recovery."

"What do you need from me Sir?"

"Not just you Sergeant, your entire team is invited. I'm a firm believer in getting to know my opponents. You and your men seem to know him better than most. I thought that we could discuss him and maybe I could get a bit of an insight into the way that he thinks."

"Be glad to help Captain, but like I told you before, the Captain is full of surprises. The best advice we could give you is to expect almost anything."

"That I understood from our earlier conversations. I was hoping for some more personal insights."

"You ask, we'll answer as best we can Captain."

"Excellent Sergeant, you can use the same quarters you were assigned on your last visit. I'll make all of the arrangements to get your vehicle repaired. Let me know when you wake up and I'll arrange to have a hot meal no matter what time it is."

"Thank you Captain, we'll be there." Troy laughed as the Captain moved away to talk to the mechanic. Despite his wound, it looked like Dietrich was still in the war.


End file.
